Dancing With Swords
by Tacinn
Summary: A foreign monarch comes to Albion to do business, but with a revolution on the horizon and a troubled King, she finds herself in an unusual spot. Logan/OC. Now with a relevant summary XD Rating may go up later
1. Chapter 1

I just finished Fable 3 and currently working on another play through, but before really getting into it I thought I'd get back into some writing. For some reason, I always have the urge to write just before a new semester starts lol.

I can't really explain the title … it just sounded neat, so it may change later on.

Apologies for any OOC-ness, particularly with Logan :X

Disclaimer: All characters and locations from the Fable-verse belong to Lionhead Studios. Original characters are my own :)

Dancing With Swords

She smelt Bowerstone before she even got there, the dark "clouds" hanging in the sky also signaled that Bowerstone was near.

"We'll be coming into port soon, miss" the ship's captain announced at her side. She gave a small nod of thanks to the captain and turned her eyes to the smoke stacks that came ever closer.

As they came closer to the docks she noticed the same logo on various crates and posters on the building.

"Captain" The ship's captain came to her side right away. "How much of Industrial does Reaver own?" she asked, looking at the captain.

"King Logan lets Mister Reaver do as he wishes and he's the only one with enough money to run so many factories" the captain replied.

She noticed the captain stiffen when he saw something on the docks and she turned to see what it was. A tall man, with a very tall hat in a white suit stood there waiting for the ship to dock, cane in hand. She kept her eyes fixed on him as she got off the boat and the tall man bowed deeply, taking off his hat.

"Your Majesty" he straightened and put his hat back on. "What brings the Empress Telvana to these humble shores of Albion?"

"And you are…?" she asked with a raised brow.

"My apologies, Ma'am. I am Reaver, the owner of Reaver Industries"

Telvana eyed him carefully and Reaver did the same. The Empress looked no older than 24 and short as she was a full two heads shorter than him but the regal air about her made up for the lack of height. She was a pretty girl, he noted. Her long black hair was done up in a bun and held in place with two ornately decorated hair sticks. Her skin was flawless and no makeup adorned her face. Not that she needed it; her features were eye catching on their own.

"I presume you are to be my escort to the castle, then?" she asked, looking up at Reaver.

He motioned to the nearby carriage, "I can give you a whole tour of Bowerstone, if Your Majesty wishes it"

Telvana held her hand up and gave a small shake of her head. "Another day, Master Reaver. I would like to rest" she looked back at the boat. "Tergang!"

A young man, a few years older than the Empress came with luggage in hand and immediately started loading them onto the carriage with the help of the driver. Reaver helped the girl into the carriage and after everything was ready, they set off to Bowerstone Castle.

"If you don't mind me asking, Your Majesty, but you weren't very clear in your letter about why you are here. Managing an empire can't be easy, and yet you have time to come here?" Reaver asked, looking at the Empress from across the carriage.

Telvana had her eyes out the window and seemed distracted, but she heard the question and answered, "I realized I knew nothing of the country we have been trading with for some time," she looked at Reaver, "and even less of the person we have been trading with."

At this, Reaver chuckled. "If it's getting to know each other, we could just head straight to my manor. Whatever business you have with the King could wait"

Reaver noticed a small smirk form at the corner of Telvana's lips and for just a moment, a flash of lust in her eyes. "A tempting proposition, Master Reaver, but I'm afraid I must turn it down at the moment. With the current situation, I believe it would be more profitable for you than it would be for me …" she paused and went back to looking out the window, but she had a smile on her face now, "and I do hate being on the losing end of a bargain"

"'Losing end of a bargain'? I assure you the experience would be well worth it"

The Empress laughed lightly at his comment, "I would hope so, but that is something for another day, Master Reaver" She could see the castle coming up and it was only moments before the carriage stopped in front of Bowerstone Castle. "You have been a fine escort, Master Reaver. I dare say, I enjoyed our conversation. Until next time" she said with a small smile before exiting the carriage.

XXX

The Empress's visit was largely unexpected. Logan knew of a trade agreement a part of her empire had with Reaver, but that was strictly business. Her letter did not address the reasoning for her visit and it worried King Logan. She wasn't going to try and take Albion for her own, would she? He looked at the map of Albion and then glanced at another map on the desk. It was a map of the Kaezen empire, Empress Telvana's kingdom. It was three times the size of Albion, and there were rumors it was still expanding.

"Your Majesty, the Empress is here to see you" Before he could even say 'Let her in', she was already standing there with two boxes in her arms as the servant who showed her in already left.

"Seeing as how I'm a guest in your castle, I thought it appropriate to bring gifts" She was about to open the top box but stopped, as if realizing something. She straightened up and gave a small curtsey. "Pardon my rudeness, King Logan. In my enthusiasm, I seemed to have forgotten my manners. Thank you for your kindness and hospitality, especially with my visit being so sudden and on such short notice" She proceeded to open up one of the boxes and held it out to Logan. It was a bottle of scotch whisky.

"Thank you, Your Majesty" Logan said, taking the box from her hands. It seemed an odd gift to bring, but welcome, none the less.

Telvana seemed to have picked up on the awkwardness of it, "It was from my Grandfather's cellars, his suggestion as well. He said that since I am visiting a King, it only makes sense to bring something that a man would appreciate" She paused and the look on her face was one of hesitancy, "His other suggestion was concubines, but I did not think it would be appropriate?"

The woman may be an Empress but it soon became clear to Logan that she lacked some experience in dealing with other leaders, and may have become Empress only a short time ago.

"You brought something else?" he asked, motioning to the other box. Telvana unwrapped the box and held it out to Logan, showing a bottle of wine. "Something to enjoy with the dinner tonight" she said with a small smile.

Once he had taken that box from her hands she took a step back and gave a small bow. "If you'll excuse me, King Logan, I need to make some preparations before dinner" she said before leaving the room.

XXX

As soon as the door closed behind her, the Empress let her shoulders slump and let out a heavy sigh.

"Now, now, that's no way for an Empress to hold herself" She looked up to see her servant, Tergang walking towards her and she couldn't help but smile.

"I'd much rather be Princess, just like how it is at home" she said with a pout.

"Of course, but we're not at home anymore and you know very well that outside of the three kingdoms you are an Empress, not a Princess" Tergang said with a smirk. He motioned for Telvana to follow and she did. "Everything went smoothly then?" he asked as they walked.

There were a few moments of silence before he heard a reply. "Um … no, more awkward than anything"

Her reply earned a chuckle from the servant as he opened the door to her quarters for her. "You've had plenty of experience dealing with foreign leaders, and all of a sudden you forget?" He chuckled again, "Was it his charming personality that threw you off?"

This time it was Telvana's turn to chuckled. "Charming personality? Master Reaver has a charming personality, King Logan not so much" She paused as sat down at the vanity and undid her hair, "He seemed distracted actually, and he looked as though something's been weighing on his mind heavily"

Tergang busied himself with the luggage, sifting through the contents to find a suitable dress for the evening. "Can't say I blame him, miss. Whispers around the castle speak of a rebellion." He glanced over at his mistress to find her absently combing her hair with her fingers. "They plan to overthrow him" he added, laying out a couple dresses on the bed.

"Miss" Tergang called, noticing that his mistress had become a little lost in thought. When she looked at him he held up the two dresses. One was crimson made of silk chiffon with black lace on the trim and a black sash tied around the waist. The other was the same blue as her eyes and also made of silk chiffon with intricate beadwork that went diagonally across the bodice and trailed to the back of the dress. "Would you like to wear your mother's colors," he held up the crimson dress, "or your father's?" he said as he held up the other one.

"Mother's, of course!" she said with a big smile. Tergang smiled back and put away the other dress. "One of the maids will dress you, call me when you're done and I'll do your hair for you" he said as he laid the chosen dress out on the bed and left the room.

XXX

It was only the King and the Empress at dinner that evening, and rather than sit at the head of the table as he usually did, Logan opted to sit across from the Empress. As the servants started bringing the food in, Tergang came with a couple of wine glasses and the bottle of wine Telvana had given to Logan. He quickly went about to setting the glasses, opening the bottle and poured a glass for the monarchs.

"If you need anything, feel free to call me" Tergang said with a small smile as he replaced the cork on the bottle and left it on the table. "Your Majestys" he gave a bow to each monarch before leaving the room with the rest of the servants.

Telvana shook her head, laughing a little as Tergang exited. "I'm sorry if he seems a bit forward. Queen Syllia often sends him with me whenever I go traveling, and with him being the steward of the Royal Family of Rathesia, he's used to putting servants in order, regardless of whose kingdom he's in"

Logan had to admit, the man moved quickly and efficiently and on his way to the dining hall he had heard the servants grumbling about the steward's demands. His mind didn't linger on that for long as he recalled that there was something he wanted to discuss with the Empress. "Your Majesty, I don't mean to be rude, but your letter wasn't very clear as to the intention of your visit" It was less a question and more a statement, and if the Empress did find it rude she didn't show it.

"Ah, about that" she ran a finger across the rim of her glass as she thoughtfully looked at the candles lighting the room. "I noticed that Reaver Industries has been the only company we've been trading with" she glanced over at Logan from the across the table for a brief before a moment before looking back at the candle light, "I want to do business here in Albion" she said frankly. There was a stretch of silence as the two monarchs ate, and once they had their fill and the table cleared, Telvana brought the subject up once again.

"As it is now, Reaver practically monopolizes the economy here. Good for him, but without competition I don't think there's much room for growth." She finished the rest of the wine in her glass and was about to pour another, but Logan reached the bottle first and poured it for her.

"And you feel that starting a business here could help Albion?" he asked as he poured the wine, refilling his own glass as well.

"Well, that is not for me to decide" she replied with a smile. "I will put together a proposal and whether it is approved or not is up to you"

He sipped at his wine thoughtfully, mulling over what the Empress had said. "You didn't come here with a proposal already in hand?"

"Hmm," Telvana took a sip from her glass before replying, "Admittedly, I don't know enough about Albion to make a proper proposal. I wanted to see first what is already present and what may be needed. Though, first impressions tell me that even just opening up factories that accomplish the same things as Reaver's would be fine. If he is the only one producing certain goods, then he can dictate how it will be sold." She took another sip from her glass before setting it down and fixed her gaze on Logan. "Say, you bring in a competitor that sells similar products but at a cheaper price for the same quality. Naturally, people will go for something that is more affordable. This will also keep more money in their pockets, money that can be spent elsewhere." She leaned back in her chair, glass in hand once again as she took a sip. "There's also job creation to think about. More people working means more taxable income, don't you think?" she took another sip and flashed a small smile, "and you know more than anyone else that an empty treasury is no good for a kingdom"

Telvana watched the King across from her carefully, trying to read any sort of reaction. He still had that same distracted look from earlier and it made her recall Tergang's words earlier. She made a mental note to ask him if he's heard anything else of this rebellion. She didn't dare ask the King about it. Maybe he knew, maybe he didn't, but whether he did or not wasn't any of her business. It wasn't her kingdom.

She sighed a little as she took another sip from her glass, contemplating whether or not she should say anything else. When she looked across the table her eyes met with Logan's. The times their eyes met previously, his mind always seemed to be somewhere else but his eyes didn't have that distracted look to them this time. It actually felt like they were really looking at each other. She smiled and finished the rest of the wine in her glass and set it down on the table. Without a word, Logan refilled her glass. The sound of liquid being poured was all that broke the silence, and when it faded the atmosphere was no longer awkward, but peaceful.

Not a single word was exchanged between the two as they enjoyed their wine. The Empress watching the flicker of the candlelight, the King in quiet contemplation as he watched the clouds pass over the moon. It wasn't until they retired for the evening that small goodbyes were exchanged as they retreated to their quarters.

Once in the privacy of their quarters the Empress set about writing drafts for her proposal and the King shuffled through reports of his sister's activity.

OOO

Hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Comments, questions or suggestion? Feel free to leave them in a review or pm :)


	2. Chapter 2

In case anyone noticed, I changed the story summary to make it more relevant lol.

Disclaimer: Anything from the Fable-verse belongs to Lionhead, and anything that doesn't belongs to me

Dancing With Swords

A couple weeks had passed uneventfully since the Empress's arrival. Both the King and the Empress were preoccupied with their own business and only small greetings were exchanged whenever they happened upon each other in the halls and rarely in the gardens. Reaver had given her the promised tour around Bowerstone and the only conversation she had with Logan since dinner was one that inquired about a short trip to Brightwall. She had left a few days ago and was returning today.

Upon her return to the castle, Telvana opted to unwind in the garden after the journey back. There _was_ a monorail that she could have taken but it was currently out of commission, something she made a mental note of for the next time she saw Reaver. With the monorail out, the journey was longer than she wanted and though she enjoyed carriage rides, when you're stuck in one for a length of time it feels nice to not be in one.

She went to one of the alcoves on the side in the garden and found a seat on one of the benches there. It was one of the nicer spots in the garden to her since people didn't often come here and she was far away from the idle chatter of the nobles who often came and went in the castle. She let her head rest against the back of the bench and closed her eyes in quiet meditation. It didn't last for long though as she heard footsteps coming closer to where she was sitting and she slowly opened her eyes to see the King a few steps away looking at her with a raised brow.

"Hello, King Logan" she greeted with a smile. "Come to enjoy a bit of fresh air?" she asked, patting the seat next to her.

Logan hesitated at first, but the expectant look on the Empress's face compelled him to sit. Though, he noticed that when he did move to sit down, she scooted over and the two were now sitting on opposite sides of the bench. It didn't look terribly awkward, but the sizeable distance between them was noticeable.

"How was your trip to Brightwall, Your Majesty?" Logan asked.

The Empress had a big smile on her face as she clapped her hands together, "I don't think I can be any more grateful to you for not making a big deal of my visit" she said happily. The look on Logan's face said he didn't believe her. "I mean it!" she added, her smile now fading. "Many other leaders would make a big show of it, and let's be honest; when the people know who you are they act differently and it becomes difficult to really see what's happening."

Tergang came around the corner with a tray bearing a teapot, two cups and some small tea snacks. "Exactly what I had in mind" Telvana said with a smile as she stood up to take the tray from Tergang. He handed it to her with a bow before he left and she sat back down, setting it between her and Logan. "Help yourself" she said as she unfolded a napkin onto her lap. After they had settled themselves, Telvana was the first to speak up again.

"They speak of you a lot in Brightwall" she fingered the edge of her cup, eyes on the ground in front of her. In the corner of her eye, she could see that he had stopped mid-sip. "They say you're a tyrant" He said nothing, but he put his cup back onto the tray and he stood up from the bench.

"You've seen enough of Albion to at least have an idea of what the people go through"

Telvana nibbled on a mini scone thoughtfully, "I imagine you want me to say something about this?"

They looked at each other and with a sigh, Telvana finished the rest of her scone and stood up, shook out her napkin and folded it up onto the tray. Logan extended an arm to her and she took it, letting him walk her around the garden.

"If it's guidance you seek, I'm afraid I'm none the wiser, but I'm sure you have your reasons and you can't expect to please everyone" she said after a while.

"Would you do the same?" Logan asked her.

"At the moment? No, I have no reason to. However, if I were a tyrant I suppose I wouldn't need a reason to come down so hard on the people" she felt him tense underneath her hand.

"Then you agree with the people" Telvana frowned at Logan's response.

"Not at all" They came to a balcony that overlooked Bowerstone and Telvana could see the smoke stacks of Industrial in the distance. She let go of Logan's arm to lean on the railing as she looked towards the horizon. She noticed that he didn't join her at the railing and when she turned around to see him waiting for her to continue. She looked away from him and continued walking, Logan just a couple steps behind. "I have seen the way how the people of Albion suffer … but I see a man who has suffered just as much, maybe even more" Logan stopped in his tracks when he heard her and she stopped too.

"A tyrant wouldn't care if his people suffered, so long as he was happy" she turned around to face Logan, "The fact that you suffer alongside you're people tells me you are not a tyrant. I do think you're a bit too harsh but, I'm sure you have your reasons" She flashed a smile and gave a small bow.

"Good day, Your Majesty" As she walked past him, he felt her hand on his arm for a brief moment.

XXX

In the days after the Empress's return, Reaver's visits to the castle were becoming more frequent. Rumors spoke of the two having a sordid affair, but the scowl on the Empress's face said otherwise. This evening was no different.

"How does a fool like him become so successful?" she exclaimed angrily, closing the door to her quarters loudly behind her.

"Because he's the only fool smart enough to create such big industry?" Tergang replied, a smirk on his face. It earned him a glare as the Empress sat at her vanity and started combing her hair out. "Did he proposition you again?" he asked as he came behind his mistress and started massaging her shoulders.

"Yes" she replied with a pout. "It's always what he has in mind whenever we meet"

Tergang chuckled, "It's probably his way of trying to keep you from edging in on his territory, a win-win situation on his part"

"Which is exactly why I always decline, because otherwise it's a lose-lose situation" she grumbled. She brushed Tergang's hands off her shoulders and she stood up, putting her hair back into a loose bun. "I'm going outside for a bit"

"Don't stay up too late, it's bad for your skin" Tergang chided.

"Yes, mother" Telvana retorted before she left.

When she got to the garden she was pleasantly surprised to see it bathed in moonlight and the crisp night air was refreshing. Most nights when she came to the garden, clouds covered the moon making it look dark and sinister, but with a clear sky it was a sight to behold at night. It was also the most peaceful at this time since there were never any guards, servants or nobles wandering about. A cool breeze blew and she cursed herself for not bringing a shawl or a jacket out with her. Oh well, not like she's going to be out here long, just a small breather.

As she got deeper into the garden she could see a familiar figure looking out over the balcony.

"What a surprise to see you here, King Logan" she greeted.

Logan turned slightly to give a small nod. "Your Majesty" he waved at the spot beside him and Telvana joined him at the railing.

"I believe it has been a few days since we last talked. I hope I didn't say anything to offend you …"

"No, not at all" Logan replied, "I've just been busy as of late and I imagine you have been as well?"

The Empress groaned and rested her elbows on the railing with her chin on her hands. "My assistant thought it would be a good idea to bundle together all the paperwork I've received since I left and sent it all at once. I'd say the stack is about this high" she held her hand about a foot high from the railing.

"I think I remember that coming in" Logan said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Oh, that's nothing. You should see my office; the carpet disappeared a few years ago" Though her response didn't garner a chuckle she looked to see a smile, though very small, on Logan's face and she couldn't help but smile back. They were quiet for a moment before they both looked back over Bowerstone.

"Ah, but looking at all that paper work makes me realize just how fast time has flown. I believe it's already been a month since I arrived here" she mused aloud.

"And the proposal you promised has not made it to my desk yet" Logan added.

"It's getting there!" she quickly replied. "If you want it that quickly though, I can finish it by tonight. My paperwork just got in the way"

"Has your stay been pleasant?" he asked.

"If you leave out Reaver, yes it has been pleasant" she sighed heavily, "I figured that maybe perhaps we could work together but he refuses, or I'm assuming he doesn't want to as every time I bring it up he just asks me if I want to sleep with him or some variation of the phrase"

A small breeze blew, making the Empress shiver and wrap her arms around herself. "Right, I told myself I'd only be out for a few minutes." She rubbed her arms, trying to get some warmth in them, "It was nice speaking with you again, Your Majesty. I promise you, that proposal will be done come morning. I hope you have a pleasant evening" she said with a small wave before hurrying inside.

On her way to her quarters, she saw Tergang with an envelope in hand. "Mistress, I had just finished sorting through your mail for the day." He handed her the envelope, "A letter from your brother"

She turned it over and saw her family's seal on the back of the envelope, and she hurried to her quarters to open it.

OOO

End Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

So, when I first started writing this chapter I realized something, Logan and Telvana are probably addressing each other the wrong way, so I went back and changed it a little.

Also, Telvana has a huge sob story in this chapter, apologies if you don't like reading it XD

Disclaimer: All Fable-verse characters and worlds belong to Lionhead. Original characters and worlds are property of me.

Dancing With Swords

The promised proposal was not waiting on Logan's desk in the following morning like the Empress promised she would. It was in the late afternoon that she came knocking on the door of the war room.

"Good afternoon, King Logan" she greeted with a smile.

"I was wondering if you were going to make good on your promise, Your Majesty" Logan said as he let her inside.

She had a big grin on her face as she handed the papers to Logan. He could see the excitement in her eyes as he skimmed through the papers. It was only four pages long and it highlighted the kind of benefits her business would bring supported by numbers and figures. Looking through it reminded him of those late nights he happened upon her in the library. They were moments in passing, if only because she looked so frustrated and deep into her work that disturbing just didn't seem appropriate. He had to admit, she had many good ideas written down and many of them possible but …

"I'm afraid I can't accept this proposal" he said with a sigh, handing the papers back to her.

Her downcast expression almost made him want to retract his statement. Though their talks had been few, the Empress had always been kind to him and he was grateful for that. Yet, here he was finding himself unable to repay her for it.

"I … I can come up with something better, just give me a little more time" she said hesitantly, eyes still downcast.

"That's not the reason why I can't accept it" he replied, taking the papers from her hands and setting them down on the desk. He motioned towards the map of Albion in the center of the room. "The decision might not be mine to make soon"

Telvana looked over the map, studying the placement of the various figurines. "You have enemies" she finally said, looking up at Logan, "but from the inside. Rebels, then?"

Logan nodded, joining her at the map table. "Revolutionaries, even"

"Tergang told me of rumors before. I wasn't sure how true they would be. People often talk of revolution, but rarely act upon it" she said as she ran her finger along the edge, slowly walking around the table. "You think- no, you seem certain they'll succeed"

Logan was silent. The silence only caused irritation for Telvana. "And you'll let them?" she asked, her tone cutting sharp.

He sighed and walked over to one of the tables. It had a couple glasses and the bottle of scotch that the Empress had brought. He poured himself a glass and took a small sip. Though he had his back turned, he could feel her eyes on his back, glaring.

"You can't just sit them down? Perhaps a compromise can be reached" she suggested, her tone softer than before.

He shook his head, leaning against the table so he could face Telvana. Her tone may have softened but the look in her eyes only grew more frigid. "There is no more room for compromise at this point"

Telvana crossed the room so fast and within seconds her face was inches away from his and their eyes were locked on each other. "Then show them who's King" her voice was quiet but firm and almost commanding. "Hunt them down, transgressors need to be punished" He could see anger in her eyes, but was it towards him or something else?

Logan was the first to break away from their gaze as he put his glass down. "I did" he took the Empress by the hand, and though reluctant at first she let him lead her to the map table. "That's why this happened" he said, gesturing towards the map.

"You've done it before, I don't see why you can't continue doing it" she retorted.

"Are you telling me to execute my own sister?" He saw her eyes widen and her face pale.

"Your … sister?" she leaned against the map table for support, clearly shaken by the revelation.

"Protestors had come to the castle. I would have had them all silenced, but she intervened and wanted to help them" he started explaining, retrieving his glass from the table to take a drink from it. "I gave her a choice, either her friend dies, or the protestors"

Telvana took a deep breath to steady herself. "Decisions aren't without consequences" she remarked, "How did she choose?"

Logan took another swig from his glass before replying, "She allowed her friend to be executed"

He was surprised to hear a small, albeit nervous laugh from the Empress. "Next to her I must look absolutely evil. I would have chosen the protestors to be executed; we don't take too kindly to rebels within the Empire."

"I can tell" Logan commented. Their eyes met, and they both seemed to relax a little though the mood was still serious.

"I've never seen her around the castle, so I assume she left?" she asked after a few silent moments.

Logan nodded. "People have been unhappy with my reign for some time and all they needed was someone to unite them"

"Well, you can't give your sister all the credit" Logan looked at her with a raised brow, "I'd say it takes a certain amount of skill to become so hated the people would be willing to work together to overthrow you" she said with a small smile.

Her comment put a hint of a smile on his face but his glass hid it as he took another swig from it. When he lowered it from his lips he was surprised to see the Empress in front of him as she took the glass from him and set it down on the table.

"You do realize this puts you in an unfavorable position, right?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I think I had put myself in that position a few years ago" he replied, reaching for his glass.

"And you've sealed your fate" Telvana intercepted him, taking his hand in hers before it could reach the glass.

He said nothing, but looked at their joined hands. It seemed almost inappropriate for them to be like this; a quiet sort of intimacy almost. Though he was sure he wasn't as experienced as Telvana in interacting with foreign leaders, Logan was certain that this was not so typical. Perhaps it was the common factor that they were both young monarchs that made it so much more casual.

"Logan?" he was brought out of his thoughts to see the Empress looking up at him with concerned eyes. "The success of this revolution may put your sister on the throne and free you from the weight of the crown, but the people may not be satisfied with just a new ruler"

He knew what she meant and thinking about it didn't sit well with him. "Are you worried about me?" he asked.

Telvana sighed and let go of his hands, turning back to the map table. "It's not any of my business what happens here in Albion. It's not part of my empire, nor are we close allies." He heard her exhale loudly as she rested her hands on the edge of the map. "I _am_ worried. Your sister sounds like she'd be a benevolent ruler, but that's no guarantee she'll spare you."

She turned around to face him, "If it were me, I would". Her eyes wandered off to the side as she continued talking, "It would ensure stability. The people rally behind your sister because they feel she will make a better ruler, but if she doesn't and you still lived, there's that off chance they could try and put you back on the throne. Taking you out would eliminate that possibility" He could hear her voice start to falter, hesitancy

"You say that, but the way you talk it seems as though you wouldn't be able to" Logan commented.

"Growing up, I was always taught to never forget the weight of the crown and what responsibilities it entails. The safety and stability of the people come first, and sometimes that might mean sacrificing your own happiness"

Seeing as how she was of sufficient distance away and didn't seem to be moving, Logan took that opportunity to take a drink from his glass. He knew all too well how heavy the crown could get. He finished off the rest of the liquid in the glass and refilled it and held it out to Telvana.

She smirked a little and took the glass from him. "You, Sir, are a mind reader" she said with a small nod of thanks before taking a swig. "The conversation thus far has been quite heavy, nothing like a good drink to alleviate the mood a little, no?" She had another drink before handing the glass back to Logan and walking over to the window to look outside. He joined her at the window after refilling his glass as they watched the sun set.

"I … hope I didn't offend you with what I said earlier" Telvana said after a lengthy stretch of silence.

Logan was vaguely reminded of the conversation they had in the garden before and without thinking he put his hand on her shoulder. "You said it yourself, you have your reasons and you make a perfectly logical argument"

To his surprise, she put her hand over his and he felt a small squeeze. "A logical argument doesn't make it feel any more right"

"Do you perhaps get paranoid?" he asked. He feared he had offended her with the question because Telvana let out an irritated sigh and brushed off his hand as she went to sit down in one of the chairs by the fireplace.

When he didn't follow she looked at him with a raised brow and motioned to the chair across from her. As he walked over he watched her take her hair out of its usual bun and let it fall so she could comfortably lean back against the seat.

"I know it looks bad, but to a certain degree, I am paranoid" she finally said once he sat down. "My father was overthrown for what I feel is the most foolish reason ever, loving my mother". She gave a shrug in response to Logan's raised brow and continued. "She was the bastard child of the now former Emperor of Kinso, my grandfather, but she was considered as Crown Princess as well. My father fell in love with her and my grandfather approved their marriage, but the Elder Council, my father's advisors, didn't like it. So, they overthrew him and my parents were exiled from Kaezen".

She shook her head at the thought and Logan passed her his glass. "That's a petty reason to dethrone a monarch, surely there wasn't anything else to it?"

Telvana shook her head again. "The people were furious and many of the territories that were part of the empire seceded as soon as the Council rose to power" She took a swig from the glass, sighing again. "It wasn't enough for them to just depose my parents and throw them out. I believe I was two at the time they were killed." He could see tears starting to form at the edge of her eyes. "I didn't fully comprehend what happened that night, but I remember my brother finding me …" she dabbed at the edge of her eyes with her sleeve. "He was so upset and angry."

"What of the assassin?" Logan asked as she handed the glass back to him.

"Killed, by my brother," She had a smile on her face when she said that and her expression was that of pride. It quickly turned into a somber look though as she continued. "The Council had the audacity to pin their deaths on my Uncle, the consort of the current Empress of Kinso. He was the last one to visit us, and the Council did well in hiding any evidence that would point to them. My Uncle wasn't imprisoned though, mostly because there wasn't enough evidence to say he did it. Since it was kind of a dead end, their deaths were just kind of hushed by the Council. They said it's unfortunate, but what can they do?" She scoffed at the comment, but Logan could see in her eyes she still wanted to cry.

"For many years me and my brother just laid low. We lived in the royal palace in Kinso with my Aunt, the Empress, and her family. When I reached adolescence, my brother felt it was the right time to strike back." Logan finished off the contents of the glass and went to refill it, Telvana patiently waiting for him to return to his seat before she continued. "My brother joined the Kinso army and rose up the ranks to become a general and that helped win the people of Kinso over on our side. The territories that were once part of Kaezen saw this and they swore their loyalty to us, as did the people of Kaezen. They were unhappy with the way the Council ran things and they wanted their old leader back.

However, though my brother rallied the people he wasn't going to take the crown. He fell in love with the Princess of Rathesia. Though my mother was a Princess of Kinso, she was not the intended heir, Princess Syllia was and in such circumstances reigning monarchs can't marry each other. It's an old law set down by the original leaders of the five monarch families." She noticed Logan's confusion at the mention of the monarch families, and it made her smile a little. "The five monarch families are kind of like the ruling body across the three kingdoms. There used to be five kingdoms, one for each family, but two of them were destroyed yet they are still regarded as royalty. Even my father, though he was dethroned he was still a member of one of the monarch families. We never lose that."

She cleared her throat, realizing she was starting to get a little off topic. "Well, anyways, my brother was unable to inherit, so the crown was passed to me. Before we even started our attack against the Council though, they were killed. The families pinned it on me and my brother since with the Council wiped out, the way for me to become Empress was clear" She ran a hand through her hair, her eyes on the carpet in front of her. "My Uncle came forward though and claimed responsibility for the murders. So, naturally the families went after him and they even dared to take it to the high court for the five monarchs to judge him"

Logan scowled, considering what she said earlier then … "Doesn't that mean you would be one of the judges?" She nodded, "I was, but we have to be impartial."

She was quiet for a while and Logan wondered if perhaps her story was done, but he could see anger lingering in her eyes, as if she was remembering something. "When he was brought to trial, they said the murders he committed ruined their lives and that he should pay for his crimes" She laughed a little, absently watching the flames of the fireplace dance. "I lost my temper" She was silent and Logan heard a sob escape from her lips. "I told them, 'My father was humiliated, dethroned, exiled and then killed in cold blood. For what reason? Because he loved a woman! All of it because of your family, and you want me to help those who murdered my parents?'" She paused to wipe away the tears that were flowing from her eyes and Logan took her free hand in his.

"I was lucky the other leaders stood by me. They thought the trial pointless because even if they weren't murdered, the Council would have been charged with treason and executed. The families fled and to this day they continue to assault us from the outside with whatever they can throw at us." She smiled a little, though she was still crying and sniffling a little bit. "We had to fight to get this crown back and I'm not going to let anyone take it away from us again. I don't care what I need to do or who I need to kill to keep it here"

Just when he thought she was starting to calm down, her tears started again and he felt her tighten her grip on her hand, her other balled into a fist as she hit the armrest of the chair. "I've wanted to let go of this hate, and sometimes I ask myself why I wasn't able to just forgive them … but I can't … I just … can't" She slumped forward, elbows on her knees as she continued to weep. "I'm sorry …" she managed to choke out. "I didn't mean to start crying like this" he heard a small chuckle. When the sobs died down, she sat back in the seat, running and hand through her hair. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "That … that was embarrassing" she chuckled, a small blush on her cheeks.

She stood up from her chair and smoothed out her dress. "My brother sent me a letter and I need to write him a reply soon, so if you'll excuse me" Before she could leave, Logan cleared his throat making he stop.

"Since I did not accept your proposal, will you be leaving soon?" he asked getting up from his chair.

Telvana turned around to look at him. "Well, you said that your sister will probably take the throne so I suppose I could wait until then" she said with a smile, something dawned on her though and her expression darkened. "I forgot, there's a chance you might not be there when that happens"

"You've practically condemned me to death" He took a drink from his glass and set it down on a nearby table as he rose from his chair.

She glared at him, but she seemed flustered. "I did not! I said there's a chance, but let's be honest you're not exactly in a favorable situation" she shot back.

Logan smiled a little. "Your concern is touching, Your Majesty." He held her hand between his and looked her in the eye, "and thank you for sharing such a personal memory with me"

Her free hand came up and touched his face, fingers gently running along his cheek and over his scar. "No, thank you, Logan" she said softly. She closed the distance between them and Logan's hands let go of hers and wrapped around her waist to pull her closer as their lips touched.

It was only a few seconds before Telvana broke the kiss, a big grin on her face. "I really must get back to my quarters. I …" her face fell, remembering something, "I still have a lot of paper work to do, and more came in" She sighed and pulled away from his embrace, but not before giving his hand a small squeeze.

"Until next time" she said with a wave as she grabbed her proposal on the way out.

OOO

I know I updated this pretty fast, but from here on out it's going to be really slow. I have a busy work week ahead and then school starts up again. We'll see how much free time have between classes, projects and work.

Also, November is NaNoWriMo and I plan to participate this year. The story that Telvana tells in this chapter happens to be the base plot that my novel is going to write about with her being one of the main characters, so that will also be taking time away from working on this. Hopefully, I can actually make that 50k words XD

Anyways, I will try and at least get a chapter out some time before December when my classes end.


	4. Chapter 4

This chapter introduces another OC of mine; you'll see eventually what his purpose is. This is also going to be the first chapter where we actually hear a little bit about the place Telvana is from.

Warning: Rating increased for mild violence and slightly graphic images.

Disclaimer: All Fable related things belong to Lionhead, original characters and places belong to me

Dancing With Swords

Life in the factories was always harsh. Despite the fact that Albion's Princess was helping the people of Bowerstone, many of the laborers felt as though change wasn't coming fast enough. There was no room for slacking though. After an unfortunate accident that had befallen the previous overseer, Reaver had to replace the one for his weapons manufacturing factory.

In came Demetri Lysceris.

He was a tall young man of 25 with black hair that had bangs hanging just above his left eye. His eyes were a unique feature to Albion, his irises were red. Though he never told anyone, he hailed from Kinso where red was a common eye color. Yet here in Albion, not only was it rare but the people regarded him as something dangerous and fearsome. It worked to his advantage in the factory though. A glare was usually enough to get a laborer to work faster, if that didn't do the job he always had a pistol on hand to threaten them or shoot them if they didn't comply.

He had to admit, it was fun seeing the workers scramble any time he fired a shot. Sometimes he even did it just for fun, just to see them scurry. No doubt if he tried the same stunt back home someone would have shot back at him and more than likely he'd get mugged at the end of the work day. It wasn't that Kinso wasn't safe; you just need to respect everyone and not screw with them.

At the end of the day, he made the trek to the Market area, where his house was. It had been two years since he left Kinso, and the adjustment to life outside the Three Kingdoms was hard. For example, this walk back to Bowerstone Market could have been shortened if he had a car, or even a bicycle, but neither existed in Albion. The level of technology the Three Kingdoms possessed was far ahead of what Albion had, most likely due to the fact that the Three Kingdoms were also heavily isolated. Any kind of advanced technology was forbidden from leaving the Kingdoms. Despite that, Demetri was able to sneak his two handguns past the borders thanks to his mother. She didn't agree with his reasons for leaving the Empire, but he was her son and she used whatever leverage she could to help him leave with those guns.

As he entered his house, he locked the door behind him and leaned on it with a heavy sigh. Sometimes he missed the comfort of the Empire, but life was simple in Albion and he liked that too. He wondered how long that would last though. Word had spread throughout Bowerstone about the visiting Empress from Kaezen. Just thinking about it made his palms sweat.

He went upstairs and opened the drawer of his dresser. In it lay the two guns he brought with him. He set his work pistol on top of the dresser as he took one of the guns out. They were both semi-automatic handguns, unheard of in Albion, and custom made just for him. The one in his hand had a wooden grip. He ran his hand along the barrel, smiling to himself, as he turned it over to look at the other side though the smile faded from his face. The grip had an inlaid portrait and he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. As he looked at it he couldn't help but smile back at the woman in the portrait. He picked up the other gun, spinning it in his hand. Unlike the other, this one had a much more simple overall design, save for the intricate runes carved all over.

He looked up at the clock over his bed. The tavern should still be open. He glanced at his work pistol and shook his head, then took out a holster for his guns and put it on. The belt holster allowed his guns to sit at the back. Made sitting awkward sometimes, but the guns were always easy to reach and conceal. He looked himself over in the mirror to check and make sure the handles weren't sticking out awkwardly and that his coat covered them before he headed out to the tavern. As he made his way there he could see a prostitute just a few feet ahead. It was a bit unusual to see one in the Market, usually they were found in the Old Quarter, but it was late so maybe that's what brought this one out here? As he got closer the prostitute had her eyes on him. Her face was reasonably pretty, but those eyes ... her eyes were a wonderful sky blue and for a second he found them quite enchanting. Realization dawned on him and he suddenly grew suspicious.

"Hey there handsome" she called out to him. "Want a good time? For the right price I could give you the time of your life" she said in a sultry voice.

"Love to, miss, but I got places to go and people to see" he replied back, flashing her a charming smile as he continued walking

"Oh? But sir, I really must insist. A hard day's work deserves a reward, don't you think?" she asked as she put her hand on his arm.

He stopped and glared at her, but that only made her smirk. "You're an awfully long way from home, aren't you dear?" she whispered to him.

In one quick motion he grabbed the girl by the neck and pulled her into a nearby alley, pinning her against the wall. "As are you" he hissed. He drew his gun and placed the muzzle at the woman's temple. "Why are you here?" he asked in a low voice.

The woman took one look at the gun and noticed the portrait on it. "I could ask you the same. Shouldn't you be with your Empress?" she hissed, spitting in his face.

He took the gun from her head so he could wipe his face with the back of his hand, but kept a firm grip on her neck. He looked at the spittle on the back of his hand and grimaced, earning a smirk from the woman. He put the gun back to her temple and before she could even say anything, pulled the trigger. Her body went limp in his hand and blood splattered against the wall. He quickly frisked the body for anything and found a note in her garter belt. He could hear the guards coming near and quickly holstered his gun and ran further down the alley, climbing up a wrought iron fence and onto an adjacent roof.

"Bloody hell, what a mess"

He peered over the edge of the roof to see one of the guards looking over the body. Another guard came and as they busied themselves with the body Demetri made his quiet getaway across the rooftops, only dropping down to the street once he was near home. The street was empty as he went back inside his house and locked the door behind him. He unfolded the note he picked up and scowled at its contents, crumpling it in his hand. He swore under his breath as he grabbed a dagger from a drawer and headed back out.

Looks like he still had more to do.

XXX

The next morning Telvana noticed the uneasiness in the castle. It was worse than usual and there was an unusual tension in the air as she made her way to the War room. The guard had also doubled overnight. She knocked on the door to the War room and Logan opened it with an unsmiling face and the dark circles under his eyes seemed bit more prominent today.

"Well, you look a little worse for wear" she commented as he let her inside.

"Have you heard about what happened in Bowerstone Market?" Logan asked as he closed the door behind her.

"I'm afraid not, but it must have been something that's caused the increase in security" she replied as she sat down in a chair.

"Two guards and a citizen were murdered last night."

Telvana's expression didn't seem to change. "Surely that can't be all to it" she said seriously. She noted the glass of liquor in Logan's hand and shook her head a little at it.

"The two guards had their throats cut open. As for the citizen, her body was found hanging from the clock tower in the square" That seemed to get her attention and the Empress looked thoughtful.

"Were there any unusual wounds on her head?" she asked.

"A gunshot to the temple, her eyes gouged out, ears cut off and mouth sliced open on both sides." He noticed the scowl on her face, "Is there something wrong?"

She was silent for a few moments, the wrinkle on her brow increasing with each passing second. "Those wounds and the display of the body like that … it's an execution style used back home, specifically for spies" She looked up at Logan and he could see the worry in her eyes. "It wouldn't be so unusual to see someone from the Three Kingdoms here but more often than not it would just be a regular citizen. However this …" she paused and the troubled look on her face was worrisome for Logan, "This looks like it could be the work of an assassin"

He downed the contents of his glass quickly and grabbed something from his desk and handed it to Telvana. She looked at the piece of crumbled paper. "What a shoddy way of relaying a message. Kill the King and pin it on me? They could have coded it!" She crumpled the note up in her hand and threw it into the fireplace with a huff. She started pacing in front of the fireplace, deep in thought.

"So the woman who was killed last night …" Logan spoke up after a few silent minutes.

"Had to die" Telvana finished. "If I have this right, that woman who was murdered was either the one who was going to assassinate you, or was passing the message onto someone else who was supposed to do it. Either way, if the plan was carried out then your death would be pinned on me and I suppose whoever planned this assumed the people would drive me out or mob me" She said with a shrug.

"So this assassin you spoke of who killed her?" he asked as he refilled his glass.

"It must be one of mine. This is considered as helping to protect my crown" she sat back down, Logan joining her at the chair opposite.

"What of the two guards that were also murdered?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, that may have just been a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They may have witnessed the killing or somehow interfered with the assassin's work" she said, shrugging again.

"Do you know who it is?" he offered the glass to Telvana but she shook her head.

"My brother is the one who knows the identities of all our assassins and he dispatches them. I can only guess who it may be" She could see the worry on Logan's face increase the more they discussed the topic. "Albion probably isn't in any imminent danger. If anything, this fiasco seems to be aimed more towards me"

"But why such a public display?" he asked, looking her in the eye.

"You hear the people talk, right? That woman was not working alone and her partner will get the message loud and clear, she failed" She leaned back in the chair, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "As morbid as it may seem, enemies still hide amongst the people. They need to know that I am aware of their presence" She sighed though and looked at the flames in the fire, "even though I technically didn't even know until now"

As they sat there quietly Logan recalled what she said when she arrived that morning. "Was there something else you wanted to talk about? I may have interrupted you when you first came this morning with the news of the murder"

Telvana seemed a little lost in thought and when Logan spoke up she got out of her trance. "Oh, that's right. I wanted to talk about … yesterday" The atmosphere became a little awkward as they both recalled the kiss they shared yesterday.

"Honestly, it was nice but … unexpected?" She noticed he wasn't meeting her eyes. "I'm not sure where that came from"

There was another stretch of silence as Logan thought his reply over and took a drink from his glass. "I can't forget that day in the garden" he finally said, putting his glass down on a nearby table. "The people have been unhappy with me for a few years already, and you saw what they go through yet you didn't have any harsh words for me. Why?"

"I said it before, didn't I? You have reasons for doing it, I can tell." She paused for a second, a small thought coming to her. "Could it be for protecting your people?" she asked. "The current conditions of Albion only remind me of countries I've visited that had to put together an army in a small amount of time" she stopped suddenly, as if she just realized something. "Granted the reason they put together that army was to repel our forces …" There was another awkward silence as the two looked at each other.

Finally, Telvana cleared her throat to break the silence. "This is going well …" she mumbled.

"You are right about assembling an army, but it's against something else. Unless if you're actually planning to take Albion for your own?" Logan asked, looking at her with suspicion.

"Oh, Heaven's no. If you ask me, I think my brother may have expanded too much. Adding more countries to the empire would just mean more work for me and I have enough as is" She said with an exasperated sigh.

"You realize though that should we pursue a relationship, nothing good will come of it, right?" Telvana said after another silent moment. "My home is in Kaezen, yours is here in Albion"

She reached out and took his hand in hers. "More importantly, with this revolution on the horizon there's a chance you may not come out alive"

"Must you remind me at every available moment?" Logan said sternly, though she could see the hints of a smirk at the corners of his mouth.

"I'm being realistic" she said with a smile. "Besides, if your days are numbered I really think you should be going out and having fun. Get a few drinks, maybe a few whores?"

Logan scoffed at the idea "I'm not Reaver"

"Hm, that's true, but it'd be fun to do none the less, don't you think?" she teased.

He shook his head and sighed. "Once again, I am not Reaver."

She scowled and let go of his hand, crossing her arms across her chest. "Then what would you rather do for fun?" she asked.

He thought about it carefully. It had been a while since he felt he could really enjoy anything. The looming threat of the Crawler always weighed too heavily on his mind to allow him to relax, but lately he had been distracted with other thoughts and now that he was reminded again of the coming Darkness he grew anxious. Despite how many years it had been since then, he could still remember his encounter with the Crawler as if it were happening now. He could hear the taunting voice of the Crawler mocking him and a chill ran down his spine as he recalled the feeling of Darkness seeping into every fiber of his body.

"_We are coming. We will devour your kingdom"_

***SMACK***

Logan snapped out of his stupor to see a pair of light blue eyes and searing pain all across his head.

"Are you all right? You weren't responding to me" Telvana said, concern in her voice. She had her hands on the arm rests and her face was millimeters from his and he could see the concern in her eyes.

His head throbbed and he tried to massage the pain away. "How did you …?"

She grinned sheepishly, and kneeled down in front of his chair. "I, uh, head butted you" she said quietly, pointing to a red mark on her forehead. "I didn't realize that coming up with something fun to do would be so mentally taxing for you"

He could hear her teasing him a little in her voice, and it made him smile a little but her face was full of concern. When he didn't reply, she put a hand up to his face. "You look a little pale, maybe you should rest a little"

He sighed and sunk lower into the chair and it made her laugh, for some reason. "I know that look. That's the 'I want to go and sleep but I still have work to do' look." She clapped her hands together, an idea coming to mind. "Why not bring everything you need to do to my quarters? I think it's better to have company when working"

Logan was hesitant. He could now see why the rumors of her and Reaver had started. She seemed all too willing to set up the pretense of an affair.

"I probably shouldn't …" he replied after carefully thinking it over.

"Are you worried about what people might say? I already know of what they say about me and Reaver" Telvana teased.

"I am, and so should you."

She glared at him and stood up. He thought she was going to leave but she leaned down and kissed him. Unlike the shy kiss he had given her yesterday, hers was passionate. He felt her tongue brush against his lips and he let her in. She flicked his tongue with hers, trying to coax more out of him and he pulled her onto the chair against his body. Before things could escalate further, Telvana broke the kiss.

"What happens between us is no one's business but our own."

OOO

A/N: I kind of hate this chapter. Mostly because I was so damn indecisive about what I wanted to do. What you're reading is what I started out with, and then I decided I wanted to do something different, and after rewriting it several times I finally came back to this.

Though Demetri is introduced in this chapter, he probably won't be making another appearance until later but his work (read: assassinations) will be popping up. With that said, rating is up because of future violence.

Next chapter, we get to hear Telvana talk about why her homeland is so isolated from the rest of the world. Hopefully I'll be getting that one done within the month if school/work doesn't get too busy lol.


	5. Chapter 5

All kinds of weird in this chapter lol. Telvana talks a little more about what sort of place she's from and it's nothing short of unusual.

Note: This chapter contains some sexual content

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Fable, but all original characters and places are mine.

Dancing With Swords

Telvana stayed true to her word. It took a couple trips, but Logan and her got all his working materials moved to her quarters. There was only one desk in that room and he wondered how they were going to manage with that. His question was answered after their last trip when they came in and a mat was spread on the floor. On the mat was a low folding table just big enough for two people to have a decent amount of writing room. Tergang was already setting up a pair of quills and ink bottles. Logan noticed that Tergang was not wearing any shoes while on the mat and Telvana removed hers as well before stepping onto it so he figured he should do the same.

"Would you like some tea as well, Your Majesty?" Tergang asked as the two sat down on either side of the table.

"Jasmine, please" Telvana replied with a smile, fixing her skirts so she could sit on her knees.

Logan sat cross legged, but after a few seconds he realized how uncomfortable his breastplate had gotten and he removed both that and his gauntlets, setting them on the side. He felt a gaze on him and he looked up to see Telvana staring at him, as if waiting for something and he raised a questioning brow at her.

"That's it?" she asked. He didn't understand what she meant at first and it took him a few seconds to realize that she may have been referring to his clothes. "Tsk, disappointing" he heard her mutter when he shot a glare at her.

"Didn't you say we were coming here to work?" he asked sternly.

"Of course! We can do other 'work' though, if you like" she replied with a wink. When his glare didn't subside, Telvana laughed. "I'm kidding. If you want to do paperwork, we can do paper work. If you fancy a tumble between the sheets, we can do that as well," she looked at the stack of papers beside her desk, "but doing the latter won't make that pile any smaller …" she mused.

Tergang came in with a small tray that held a teapot and two cylindrical, handle-less teacups. He set the tray down on the table and poured tea into the cups then set them in front of each monarch then set the teapot onto the table. He then took half the stack of papers next to the desk and a stamp and ink pad and set them next to Telvana. "I've taken the liberty of sorting the documents. Highest priority on top, lower on bottom and I already sent letters of declination to the ones you had previously rejected"

Telvana looked at the stack of papers with a sigh. "Tyrea's really laying it on thick, isn't she?"

Tergang shrugged. "She may just be bored what with her husband's absence"

"Vincent should be back soon; maybe she'll be too preoccupied to send me more work" she said as she took a few papers and started shuffling through them.

"Wishful thinking, Your Majesty" Tergang replied as he stood and gave a small bow before exiting.

With a heavy sigh, she started skimming over the first page and Logan did the same with his own pile of work. The room was quiet for a great deal of time, the sound of quills scratching against paper and the pressing of Telvana's stamp being the only things that filled the silence. Tergang came in now and then to replace the teapot with more hot water and brought snacks as well. Perhaps it was the tea that made Logan feel more relaxed, but he found it easier and faster to get through the paper work. Even Telvana had made good progress on her stack.

A few hours had passed until the sound of Telvana's grumbling stomach had her call for a break. As if on cue, Tergang came in with sandwiches and another teapot.

"You know, I was just thinking …" Telvana refilled her cup and did the same for Logan, "all that time we spent talking took a good amount of time out of getting all this done" she said as she set the teapot down and took a half of a sandwich.

"Might I add, you also spent a good amount of time with Reaver" Logan added, taking the other half of the sandwich.

Telvana just shrugged as she took a bite out of her half. She chewed thoughtfully, only replying once she had swallowed her bite. "He's quite charming and pleasant to talk to, when he's not irritating me, of course". She paused to take a sip of tea, "He's someone who knows how to have a good time, and I appreciate that. It helps me relax in between my work"

Logan was eyeing her with a raised brow. "No, I haven't slept with him, if that's what you're asking". She had a cat-like grin on her face as she closed her eyes, "It's always tempting though. He has such a handsome face; it'd be nice to see if everything else is just as gorgeous"

"I'm sure he'd be more than happy to sate your curiosity". Telvana noticed the irritation in Logan's voice. The way she spoke of Reaver made it sound as though those she was more interested in him.

"Ah, but men like him aren't worth more than a quick tumble on the side. He seems a little too self-absorbed to care about anyone else but himself" she said, looking out the window. "He reminds me of how my cousin used to be, actually" she said with a laugh.

"Your cousin?"

"Darren Akeish, he's the Prince of Kinso. When we were younger he was known to be a little … loose" she snickered at the word, "Gender did not matter for him, just the pleasure of the moment. All the while he was courting my best friend, didn't help that she was the daughter of the owner of a chain of bordellos across the Three Kingdoms. We spent a great deal of time there, and during the afternoon he would court her, but in the morning we'd find him in bed with one of the workers" She shook her head with a laugh. "He had some commitment issues, but he's worked them out since … I hope" she scowled as she finished the rest of her half sandwich and grabbed another.

"You said you spent a great deal of time in Bordellos? Your family didn't disapprove of it?" Logan found it puzzling that an Empress, and Princes even, would spend so much time at such a seedy place.

"It's very luxurious, and they're particular about whom they hire. Since it's owned by a close friend of the family, my brother knew they could be trusted. When I was younger I was very limited in where I could go. In fact, I barely left the palace in Kinso, but a few times a year my brother would take me to the ruins of the old capital of Kaezen. The most beautiful flowers bloom there" she smiled fondly at the memory.

"Was it because of the council?" Telvana nodded sadly.

"I hated it. It was bad enough that being so young I wasn't allowed to leave the Three Kingdoms at all, but not even being able to roam freely within my own homeland? It was maddening"

"Why is it so isolated anyways? Your Empire alone is quite big and I'm sure the other kingdoms just as large, and yet we hear nothing about what goes on there" It was a curious thing for Logan. He himself only knew of Kaezen's expansion because they had claimed many of the Western countries in the last few years.

He noticed the hesitancy in her eyes as she ate and they were silent as they continued to eat. When they were done and Tergang had taken the tray away, Telvana finally spoke.

"We have secrets. Exposing them to outsiders isn't against the law, but we've learned the hard way that not everyone is accepting of us" Her tone was grave and she didn't want to look at Logan, but seemed concentrated on the papers she just picked up. "Have you ever heard of Sylvans, Daemons, or Celestines?"

"Only in legends" Logan replied with a shrug.

"Oh?" she looked surprised, "Do tell what you've heard about them, I'm curious"

"I've only heard that Sylvans inhabit the forests and can manipulate nature to their will and punish those who disrespect nature." Telvana nodded and urged him to continue. "Daemons were malevolent creatures who tempt men into committing sins. As for Celestines, legends say that they could manipulate unnatural energies" He noticed that that she was scowling and frowning deeply.

"Demons are the malevolent spirits, Daemons are mischievous though. Is that all the legends say about Celestines?" When he nodded her frown deepened. "That's disappointing" she said with a shake of her head. "They all have something in common that the legends highlight as well"

Logan thought about it for a moment, and it dawned on him. "Immortality"

Telvana nodded. "For the most part, what you heard in legends is real. They exist. In fact, they all live within the Three Kingdoms. The other countries on our continent are home to other creatures of legend as well." She noted the look of disbelief on Logan's face.

"Sounds outrageous, doesn't it?" she said, laughing loudly. Outrageous seemed an understatement. These were creatures of legend she was talking about, after all. They were things that shouldn't even be real. Something else dawned on him and he looked at Telvana, who smiled sadly at him.

"Are you…?"

She nodded, the smile disappearing from her face. "I am a Celestine and a Daemon, with a small bit of dragon blood thanks to my mother"

Logan was starting to wonder if maybe that head butt she had given him earlier knocked him out and he was just dreaming. It all seemed unreal and unbelievable. He noticed her fidget uncomfortably in the silence across from him.

"You mentioned earlier that not everyone is accepting of your kind, why is that?" he asked, wondering if her discomfort had something to do with it.

"Many human settlements on the continent hate us. Legends fail to mention the many wars we've had amongst Immortals. Its cost a good amount of human lives, and in some cases its ravaged homelands so badly they've become uninhabitable. They've come to despise us." The scowl was starting to become something of a permanent feature on her face now. "We became isolated for that reason. The humans want nothing to do with us? Then so be it, we closed our gates on them. They can live within the Empire, but they are forbidden from the capitals. In the case of Rathesia, humans are forbidden from entering their borders completely. Any who try to force their way in are killed on the spot."

She rested her elbows on the table, chin on her hands as she looked out the window. Logan himself was a little absorbed in though after hearing everything she said. However something she said earlier was weighing heavily on his mind.

"Out of curiosity but … dragon blood?"

Telvana started laughing loudly at the expression on Logan's face. Before he knew it she was clutching her sides on the floor, laughing. "I can't turn into one, if that's what you're wondering. Pure bloods can, but for those of mixed species only males can. I think it's to help promote procreation amongst others?" she stood up to grab a pillow from the bed before returning to the mat, hugging the pillow.

"While species like my own are legends to you, dragons are the stuff of legends for us. They say they're powerful demi-gods, wise, eternal, and beautiful. I've never met a pure blood one before though, heard they all went into hiding" She got back to signing papers, letting the pillow rest in her lap and Logan did the same for his own paperwork.

"I have to admit, your home sounds very … interesting" he commented, looking over one of the documents in hand.

"I'm surprised how well you're taking the information. Most humans who find out who I am run in the other direction, or slam the door on my face" she replied with a small laugh.

He stopped writing and looked up at her, and she did the same. "To be honest this is all so outrageous I'm not sure I can comprehend it"

She smiled. It was warm, comforting. "You don't have to, it might even be better if you don't." she said before going back to her writing.

"I'm still trying to grasp the idea of legends being real"

She laughed. "I can't blame you. I, myself, had trouble believing dragons were real.. I'm surprised you took the immortality bit really well"

"You aren't the first person I've heard of that has immortality" Ever since Logan could remember, Reaver had always looked the same. "But don't you have problems with overpopulation?"

Telvana shook her head. "Conception is difficult. Me and my brother have a 3000 year difference between us, and my parents tried _really_ hard for a second child" She paused for a second, her writing stopping for a moment. "Also, because the wars still continue many die in them. We may be immortal, but only in the sense that we can't die of old age, but we can be killed. Granted, some are harder to kill than others, but it's possible"

Logan mentally kicked himself for bringing it up. Of course they could be killed; just yesterday she had spoken of her parents' murder. However, there was no sadness in her voice, just a matter-of-fact statement.

Hours passed between them with Logan telling her of the legends he heard when he was young and Telvana debunking the myths and clearing up the truth. She herself was quite surprised at how much of it was made up. Tergang also contributed now and then to the stories Telvana would tell. Logan found out that he was a Sylvan and a Celestine and the around same age as Telvana's brother. As the sun travelled across the sky and started to set, so did the pile of paper work they had to do. Logan had finished long before Telvana and was helping her stamp documents as Tergang weaved tales of ages before whilst serving them dinner. It wasn't until the sun had set and moon was high in the sky that he felt the exhaustion of the day catch up to him. Telvana stretched as she yawned, happy to get all of her paper work done.

"Thanks for your help, I really do appreciate it" she said to Logan as Tergang started putting the table away.

"No, thank you. You were right when you said this would be more enjoyable. This is the first time work has felt relaxing"

"Told you it'd be much better to have company" she smiled at him and he returned it with a smile of his own.

With the table now gone, and Tergang absent from the room, there was a noticeable space between the two. Telvana quickly closed the distance with a kiss and Logan responded by deepening it and slowly lowered her to the floor. He wasn't sure how long they had stayed like that but when she finally broke the kiss, they were breathless.

"I said nothing good will come of a relationship between us, but who knows if you'll live past the revolution." She caressed his face, her fingers trailing delicately over his scar. "Even if it's just for a short while, please, let me have you"

Part of this felt wrong to Logan. She had made it clear that morning, her place was in Kaezen, his here in Albion. Whatever they shared would only be temporary, but she had a point about the revolution. He knew very well how much the people despised him. They would not be satisfied with anything less than an execution. He looked down at Telvana as she lay under him. She was a desirable woman, of that he had no doubt, but they had only barely gotten to know each other, but would there be more time for him to learn more about her?

Her hand in his hair brought him from his thoughts. "Everyone deserves some happiness, no matter how fleeting it may be" she whispered before pulling him down to kiss him. This time, it was Logan who broke the kiss first. He was still hesitant and it bothered Telvana. He sat up, letting out a shaky breath and slowly got to his feet.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think this is the right time" he wouldn't look at her. If he did he feared he may not be able to control himself anymore.

Telvana sighed and stood up as well and went to sit down on her bed. As he gathered his things he could see her lay down in the corner of his eye, and her gaze as on him. He moved towards the door but her voice stopped him.

"I leave for Kaezen in a week"

A week was a short amount of time.

"I still want to do business in Albion, so I'll be back, but I'll be gone for a few months."

She quietly got off the bed and embraced Logan from behind. "I'll I'm asking for is a week with you"

"Why me?" he asked quietly.

"Well, why not?"

When he didn't respond her hands went to his collar as she started undoing his shirt. She had only undone a couple of buttons, but since he did not stop her she continued and he threw his stuff to the side and turned around to claim her lips. She made surprisingly quick work of his clothes as they made their way back to the bed. When they did reach the bed his shirt had already been discarded and his trousers undone. Her lips trailed down his torso with kisses as she slipped his trousers off and he could see a smirk of satisfaction as she ran her hands along his bare skin.

She pulled him onto the bed with her and coaxed him into laying against the headboard. She positioned herself between his legs and took him into her mouth. A moan escaped his lips when the tip of her tongue pressed against the sensitive areas and he wanted nothing more than to get that dress off of her. She guided his hands to the stays on her dress. To his dismay, they were tedious to undo and there were a lot that went all the way to her lower back. It didn't help that the pleasure she was giving him was distracting and made him impatient.

She only stopped to slip out of her dress. Under that was a chemise and her corset, both she managed to slip off rather quickly as her corset itself wasn't done up particularly tight. Once the last bit of clothing was discarded Logan pulled her to him, pressing their bodies together as they kissed. She guided him to her entrance, her folds already slick with moisture making it easy for him to enter her. She moaned softly as she took him in. After a few moments to adjust, they found a steady rhythm to which their hips moved to.

They were silent, save for their ragged breaths. As their pleasure started to build, Telvana urged Logan on as his thrusts became harder and faster. She peaked first, riding out her orgasm as he continued to thrust into her until he, too reached his climax. With both of them sated, Logan pulled the covers over them before they drifted off to sleep.

XXX

_Objects flew everywhere as a small child screamed and cried. "Get out! I want my brother!" she yelled as she threw whatever she could at the maid._

"_Princess Telvana, please calm down" the maid begged, trying to dodge the flying objects. "He will be back soon, until then can't you wait patiently? He wouldn't want to see you like this"_

"_You always say that!" she screamed at the servant._

"_Oh sweetie, don't be like that" Her grandfather had come into the room and quickly scooped her up in his arms. He was a beautiful man with long ebony hair and bright red eyes, and most of all, eternally youthful._

_He smoothed his granddaughter's hair and kissed her forehead. "Do you not like being with Grandpa?" he asked. The little girl shook her head. "I'm sorry you're waiting so long for your brother but it can't be helped. He'll be back soon" he said with a soft smile, hugging her close._

"_Why can't I go to where brother is?" she asked, looking up at him with her big eyes._

"_It's too dangerous for you to go where he is and you're very important to us. We don't want you to get hurt" _

_Telvana pouted as her grandfather tucked her into bed. He patted her on the head, placing another kiss on her forehead. "Brother's been gone so long, what if he's hurt?" she asked._

_Her grandfather laughed. "Him? Ah, it would take a lot to stop him from coming home, darling. Sleep for now and tomorrow we'll have so much fun that he'll be home before you know it."_

_She seemed to cheer up at this and she clapped her hands together. "Promise?"_

_Her grandfather nodded, "Promise"_

_He gave her a goodnight kiss and made sure she was snug under the covers. He turned off the light and as he closed the door behind him, blew one more kiss to her which she returned with one of her own. She looked outside her window as she said a silent prayer in her mind for her brother to return home safely. Slowly, sleep started to claim her and her eyelids became too heavy to keep open, but as she started to drift off to sleep an incessant tapping on her window was starting to annoy her._

"_Hey Mayu" a young boy whispered, "open the window"_

_Telvana was tired and she didn't want to get out of her comfy bed, but the tapping wouldn't stop until finally she opened her eyes._

She awoke with a start to see Logan's sleeping face next to her. A few rays of sun lit the room as she watched him for a few moments. With a sigh she got out of bed and slipped on his discarded shirt from last night, only doing up a few buttons to cover her breasts. The dream she had bothered her a little, if only because the tapping seemed less dream-like and more real. She looked to her window, half expecting to see something there and she did. There, on the window sill was a wrapped bundle tied with a bloody ribbon.

OOO

A/N: Bit o' random trivia. Telvana is her middle name, Mayu is her first. She uses Telvana though because it's written in the standard language of the Three Kingdoms, where as Mayu is not. I named her during a time when I thought it was neat how all my Japanese friends had English first names and Japanese middle names.

After I wrote the last chapter I realized that it's odd for Telvana to be away from home for so long, hence why in this chapter she says she needs to go back. There won't really be any major time skips in the time she's gone as I'll mostly be writing from Logan and Demetri's standpoint. Before then, the next few chapters will be about those seven days before she leaves.

Writing stories is so much easier now that I outline what I want in them lol.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sorry this took so long. School is kicking my butt right now, I have so much school work to do and I've been really exhausted from late nights. I decided to take a couple days off from doing school work :P I have a school fashion show to model for tomorrow and a friend's going away party to go to after. Should be fun.

Many apologies for this chapter, I'm not good at writing action scenes. Also, it may not flow all that well because I did write this over the span of a few weeks and sometimes I lost the rhythm for the chapter. More Telvana weirdness here too lol.

WARNING: There's some gory imagery in this chapter,

Disclaimer: Everything Fable related belongs to Lionhead, original characters and places are mine.

Dancing With Swords

Telvana grabbed a pair of black gloves from her trunk before opening her window and retrieving the bundle from the sill. The smell of decomposing flesh started to fill the room and it was enough to stir Logan from his sleep. A slight breeze chilled his skin as he sat up, but closing the window didn't seem wise so long as the putrid stench remained.

"Good morning" Telvana greeted as she sat on the edge of the bed, bundle still in hand. "Did this wake you up?" she asked, holding the bundle up.

"What is it?" Logan instantly regretted asking the moment she untied the bundle. The fabric fell to reveal the decapitated head of a young man; it made his stomach turn. Unlike the report he had gotten, actually seeing what the deformations looked like so close was unnerving. Hollow sockets stared at him, the skin around the eyes torn as if the eyes were violently gouged out and the mouth hung slack, a little looser than it needed to be because of the large cuts along the side of the mouth that went almost to the ear, or at least where the ears used to be.

Telvana seemed unphased, as if she was used to the sight. Perhaps she was. Logan had to avert his eyes; it all seemed a little too grotesque for him. Telvana, on the other hand, was completely engrossed in the head as she carefully inspected it. While he was sure that whatever she was looking for was important, Logan also realized that he couldn't get dressed with her still wearing his shirt.

"Ah"

He raised a brow at Telvana's sudden exclamation. "What is it?" he asked, trying to not notice the view of the neck wound he had.

"This fellow's got the crest of Izara stamped on his scalp." She sighed and tied the bundle back up and set it on the desk as she walked towards the fireplace and carefully removed the gloves before throwing it into the dying embers. There was a knock at the door and Logan averted his eyes as Telvana slipped on some undergarments and shorts. On her way to answer the door she also gave him his trousers which he put on under the covers.

"Good morning!" Tergang greeted cheerily. "I've brought some breakfast and a change of clothes for you" he said as he came in with a small tray in one hand and a tidy stack of clothes in the other. He dropped the clothes on the bed and set the tray down on the desk. "I'll be back with something to drink" he said with a small smile before leaving the room.

Logan looked at Telvana and the expression on his face made her laugh. "He's walked in on worse; my cousins sleep naked and Darren likes to have his flings … everywhere" she grimaced a little, shaking her head.

She climbed onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Logan's neck as she sat down in his lap. "Did you sleep well last night?" she asked, placing a small kiss on his cheek.

He sighed and leaned back against the headboard, pulling her close so her head rested against his bare chest. "It's been so long since I last slept so peacefully" he kissed the top of her head, and he heard her giggle, "but how long are you going to keep wearing my shirt?" he asked, looking down at her.

She looked up at him with mischievous eyes. "All day?" she teased.

"That's gross"

They both looked up to see Tergang peeking in from the door. Telvana threw a pillow at him, which he dodged easily, as he came in with a tray that held a teapot and cups as well as a glass of milk. He handed the glass of milk to Telvana first before he set the tray on the desk and set up the mat and table they used yesterday as a place for them to eat. Logan watched her with interest as she slowly drank the whole glass.

"It's for her skin" Tergang said with a small chuckle when he noticed the expression on Logan's face. He raised a brow in response.

"Beauty doesn't come without a bit of hard work" Telvana stated proudly. "No makeup means my skin won't age as fast, milk to keep it luminous, minimal sun exposure to prevent wrinkles and sun damage and of course, cleaning and moisturizing properly" Most of what she said went over his head, but he thought it was amusing how she had a mirror handy to look at her face as she listed everything she does to maintain her appearance.

"No doubt you've become the envy of many women in Bowerstone" Logan commented sarcastically.

His sarcasm seemed to have gone unnoticed as Telvana beamed at him and gave him a kiss. "I'm glad you think so" she said happily.

Tergang snorted as he moved the trays from the desk to the table. "Get over yourself. If its beauty we're comparing there are others better than you"

To Logan's surprise, she didn't pout but rather seemed to have realized something. "Syllia!" A small blush colored her cheeks as she sighed happily. "Syllia and Talia are absolutely gorgeous. Brother's so lucky he gets to marry Syllia" she said dreamily as she sat down at the table.

"The Queen of Rathesia?" Logan joined her at the table, grabbing a scone and spreading some butter on it.

"Yes, Her Majesty also has a twin sister, Princess Talia. They're identical twins and celebrated beauties across the Three Kingdoms and even in certain parts of the continent. They are the pride and joy of Rathesia" Tergang said proudly, Telvana nodding her head in agreement to everything he said.

Telvana suddenly sprung up from her seat and rushed to her trunk to get something from it. She pulled out a large book. She flipped through the pages and after finding a certain one, showed it to Logan. His heart skipped a beat as he saw the woman pictured in the book. It seemed to be a photograph of sorts, but the picture quality was a lot nicer than what he'd seen before and he's never seen full page photographs like this. Deep emerald green eyes stared at him from the page, flawless ivory skin, ink black hair, red lips and the slightest hint of rose color on her cheeks. The woman in the picture was stunning to behold, but something seemed amiss in the photograph. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of green but they somehow lacked life and made the slight smile on her lips look fake.

The book seemed to be a photo book because the one on the adjacent page was of a young man, just a little older than Telvana … and actually resembled her quite a lot. Unlike the one of the woman, this one was a little more provocative. He stood with his feet planted firmly, one hand had his thumb hooked in the waistband of his pants and tugged them down slightly, and the other pulling the edge of his button up shirt up to reveal a chiseled midsection. The face however was what got Logan's attention (the rest of the photo wasn't really something he wanted to look at anyways) The smirk on the young man's face was familiar, it was Telvana's smirk. Though the man had violet eyes, they resembled Telvana's ice blue.

"Is this …?"

Tevlana looked confused for a second and then looked at the book. "Ah, I remember this! My aunt wanted him to do something sexy" she said with a laugh. "The other one is Syllia though, isn't she gorgeous?"

Logan nodded, but he didn't share the same enthusiasm as her. She was beautiful, no doubt about it, but those eyes made her seem doll-like and fake.

"You noticed?" Tergang asked as he poured them more tea. "The lack of life in her eyes, that is" he clarified when Logan looked confusedly at him.

Telvana seemed to grow solemn as she closed the photo book and set it aside and quietly went back to eating her breakfast. "Before she became Queen, Lady Syllia was, and still is, the leader of Rathesia's military. She is hailed as a master tactician and is responsible for Rathesia's impenetrable defense. However, two thousand years ago her second-in-command betrayed her, sold us out and let our enemies in. Everything was burned to the ground." He sighed heavily, and Logan could see anger in the other man's eyes. "Lady Syllia became more rigid with the military. Rathesia was a strong military power then, and it's become more fearsome since."

Telvana stood up suddenly and grabbed the bundle she had gotten earlier and showed it to Tergang. "Speaking of Rathesia, I got a package this morning. The head of an Izaran dog"

To Logan's chagrin, Tergang opened the bundle and he suddenly lost his appetite. Telvana on the other hand ate with vigor, all while watching Tergang examine the head briefly.

"I'll look into it" he said, tying it back up. "I forgot to tell you," Telvana looked at him, mouth full of food. "Master Reaver is waiting for you in the garden. I believe you said you wanted to speak with him about something?"

"Oh! I forgot I said I'd have lunch with him at his manor" Logan scowled deeply. While they did share a night together, that didn't necessarily mean he and the Empress had an exclusive relationship and Telvana had already expressed some interest in the other man (though it seemed shallow).

He was suddenly taken from his train of thought when she pressed a kiss to his lips. "I'll see you later" she said with a smile before leaving.

XXX

The original plan was to take a carriage ride all the way to Reaver's manor, but upon seeing the lake in Millfields, the Empress asked that the carriage be stopped so she could walk around the edge of the lake. However, simply walking around the edge of the lake wasn't enough and she was at the water's edge, splashing water. Despite her childish behavior, Reaver only put up with it because of the offer she hung above his head. She presented him with an offer to help expand his business. Normally it wasn't something he would accept, but Albion could only offer so much and Kaezen seemed to offer more. With the Empress's support, Reaver Industries would become huge, and that meant more money. However, it all sounded a little too good to be true as well.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty, while I would be honored to have your production plants, aren't those a staple for your business?" he asked.

Telvana had her skirts in her hands to keep them clean from the dirt and water as she carefully stepped onto the rocks. "It was my Aunt's idea to give them to me, but it's so far from what my father's company does that it just doesn't work for me. Besides, it's not a huge money maker for me." She tied her skirts up so she could crouch down on the rocks and drew small circles in the water. "It'd be good for you though, you wouldn't be able to get into any other business" she said with a smirk.

"Oh?" he strode over to where she was, looking over her shoulder to see what was so interesting in the water. "Perhaps you would think so, but I have ways of getting what I want" he purred, smirking at her reflection in the water. Her reflection smiled back, and something glinted in the sunlight. She quickly stood up, wanting to retrieve the shiny object but in her excitement she lost of her footing and grabbed onto the nearest object to stop her fall.

Unfortunately, that object was Reaver and they both went tumbling into the water.

XXX

Telvana was positively beaming with her new necklace in hand. Diamonds encircled the whole thing with a large pink diamond set in the middle and it sparkled beautifully in the softly lit room, though it was in desperate need of a cleaning. However, retrieving the necklace came at a price. Besides accidentally pulling Reaver into the water with her, Telvana also managed to hit her head on the rocks as she tumbled down. Reaver remained unharmed, but wet, so they quickly made their way to his manor where her head wound could be looked at and they could get cleaned up.

As unfortunate as the whole situation was, it had its perks. He had gotten the Empress to his mansion, and she was sitting on his bed in nothing but his shirt. Her dress had gotten dirty and she didn't seem to mind only having the shirt to wear after her bath as her dress was being cleaned.

"I hope that necklace is worth all the trouble you caused to get it" he remarked as he came into the bedroom to see her attempting to clean it with a cloth.

She looked up from her work to grin at him. "Yes!" She scratched her forehead where the bandage was wrapped, a scowl on her face. "This thing is itchy though" she complained as she pulled it off. To Reaver's surprise, the cut was gone.

He touched where the cut was and only felt smooth, flawless skin. It was only an hour ago that he saw the grotesque wound she had gotten as it bled profusely, and now nothing? She nudged his hand with her head and looked up at him, eyes shining. "I told you it'd heal on its own"

"I already knew that, but I didn't know it would be that fast" he mused aloud.

"I've had worse" she said with a shrug before going back to cleaning the necklace. "Now, about what we were talking about earlier-"

Reaver cut her off before she could continue, kissing her fiercely. Her lips were soft and warm and her still damp hair still smelled fresh from her bath. She inhaled sharply through her nose and gripped the collar of his shirt, but she wasn't kissing him back. Her body went rigid and when she broke away she seemed to be on edge.

"Come now, let's talk about business matters later" he whispered, trying to coax her into relaxation.

It didn't work, and she held a hand up, signaling him to be quiet. However, as he sat against the headboard he noticed something strange about the room. It seemed different, almost otherworldly. The colors of the room seemed to jump out at him weirdly and he vaguely wondered if there was some sort of hallucinogenic drug on the Empress's lips. If there was, perhaps that would explain her odd behavior. She had remained still for the last few minutes, almost as if she was waiting for something but the room had been silent for a while.

The silence was suddenly broken by a sickening crunch of wood and splinters flew everywhere as what appeared to be a huge shard of ice was hurled at the bed. Reaver reached for his Dragonstomper as he dodged the ice shard, but a loud thunderclap resonated throughout the room as lightning flashed before his eyes, temporarily blinding him. He heard someone scream in a part of the room, but it didn't sound like Telvana's voice. For a brief moment he wondered if this was really happening. The only time he's seen such things happen was during his time spent with Sparrow. It must be magic.

More ice shards appeared in the air and he fired shots to shatter them. The ones not shattered were hurled in a direction away from him, and when he glanced over they were being thrown at Telvana. They shattered before even reaching her and another thunderclap resonated as lightning shot from her hands towards her attacker. The attacker in question was actually two young women. One was doubled over in pain as she clutched her face the other was the source of the ice shards which she used to block the lightning. They shattered loudly and Reaver used that opportunity to fire a well-aimed shot at the back of the ice woman's head. She staggered and slowly turned around, glaring at Reaver, but she did not fall. With a wave of her arm she summoned more large ice shards that hovered in the air. He shot a few of the shards to pieces but she only summoned more and hurled them in his direction. He managed to use his bullets to ward off most of them and the rest he dodged, but flames sprung from the ground in front of him.

"About time you stopped whining" the ice woman retorted to the other.

The whole right side of the other woman's face was disfigured and bleeding. "But sis, it hurts, and it's so bad, I don't want someone handsome like him to see" she whined. It seems she was the source of the flames as some were gathered around her hands, licking her skin but not actually burning it.

"If all you wanted to do was bed me you simply need to ask, no need for all … this" Reaver said, motioning to the chaos around him. He noted that the flames were starting to form a circle around him and it was getting hot.

"Bed you?" the ice woman looked furious and she threw an ice shard at him, but it shattered when he shot it. "Take care of the Empress I'll get hi-" The sound of flesh being ripped tore (A/N: lol) through the air and a glowing hand was protruding through the ice woman's chest.

"Don't forget about me~" Telvana chimed in, pulling her hand out from the woman's chest. She fell to the ground, clutching the wound but not quite dead yet. The other woman swung a fiery fist at the Empress, but the wide swing was dodged easily and countered with a kick to the chest. The fire woman was pushed back through the flame circle, unharmed but winded. A shot to the woman's face caused her to scream in pain and at this point, Reaver was more annoyed than surprised at their unwillingness to die.

The woman's screams grated on his nerves and he aimed a shot at her throat. Her screams stopped and were replaced by gasping breaths. She clutched at her throat, and the gasping was replaced by gurgles as blood poured out of the wound and her mouth. The sound of metal breaking through the floor could be heard on the other side of the flames and a small yelp of pain was heard, followed by sobs as the flames started to die down.

"Ooh? Looks like she's just about there" Telvana commented, looking over the fire woman's body, her eyes wide with fear as she struggled to breathe. Reaver looked up to see a large metal shard stabbed into the other woman's back, pinning her to the floor. There was still life in her eyes, but barely.

"As is yours" he commented with a smirk.

"Oh, looks like she's gone" They both looked down to see the woman's lifeless eyes, hand still clutched at her throat.

"Yours too" The weird colors of the room went back to normal, and the bed was unharmed, as was the rest of the room. Sort of.

Reaver noted with disdain that the metal shard and pool of blood were still present, and he noticed that there was blood on both of the Empress's arms that was soaking into his shirt.

"I hope you plan on doing something about that" he said, pointing at the bloody sleeves with his gun. She looked down at it and a knock sounded at the door, without waiting for an answer, Tergang came in, a bundle of clothes in one hand and a case in the other.

The Empress held up the bloody sleeves to Tergang, a big smile on her face. To Reaver's surprise, Tergang swiftly crossed the room, stepping over the dead bodies and hit Telvana lightly across the side of the head. She whined and pouted as he rolled up the sleeves of the shirt. Deep gashes decorated her forearms.

"When did you get those?" Reaver asked. They didn't seem like the kind of injuries she would have gotten from the spells their attacker used on them, and none of them had blades.

"Um … from earlier" she replied meekly.

Tergang opened the case, revealing various medical supplies and he quickly set about cleaning the wounds, Telvana wincing as they were being disinfected.

"I think you owe me an explanation, hm?"

"Those women were probably from Izara, an enemy nation. They must be getting panicked now that their comrades are slowly getting picked off one by one." Tergang replied as he slowly started bandaging Telvana's wounds.

"Sloppy" she sneered.

Tergang chuckled. "I would have to agree with you there, Your Majesty. Execution could have been much better" He said with a shrug. "Don't worry about that," he gestured at the bodies, "I can clean it up. And you," he looked at the Empress as he finished up his bandaging, "I brought something for you to change into, and after that, clean that shirt, okay?" She nodded and took the bundle of clothes from him before going into the next room to change.

Tergang stood up, stretching and sighing. "Well, let's get to work"

OOO

A/N: Kind of an odd place to end the chapter, but appropriate at the same time? Not sure when the next one will come out, we'll see how my workload is.


	7. Author's Note

HI GUYS

So, it's been two years since I last looked at this, hasn't it? Honestly, I kinda forgot where I was gonna go with the next chapter, which is why I haven't updated it for a while. I literally opened up the document, looked at it, and asked myself "What was going on here?"

I've also been busy with school and work. I got a second job in the time inbetween so it's been a little hectic. I'll be doing my last year of university starting this Fall so I'm expecting it to be busy again~

I noticed this has still been getting some views, and people have been adding it to their alert list ^^; Thank you for that!

I will hopefully be able to get some chapters cranked out this summer before I go back to school. It's been a while since I played Fable, so I actually might go and replay it before I start writing again, haha!

Thanks,  
>Tacinn<p> 


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